Phil L.

Originally I was thinking about buying a 34" widescreen HD tube set, but with weight a consideration I have started to look at 37" plasma sets.

What brands should I consider?
Can I get something decent for $3,000 or so?
Where is a good place to purchase?

I looked at a Philips 37" set at Best Buy and thought the picture looked good but they were pricey too.

I plan to get the HD broadcasts from digital cable.

BigDave

Is it truely an HD plasma set? I thought most of the less expensive ones were only 480p and not 720p/1080i.

I have a DLP set for some of the similar reasons you mentioned. Mine only weighs 80lbs and it's a 46" set.

gotapex

There are no truly HD plasma sets under 50".

The prices on 37" sets aren't great. If you have the room, a 42" may be a better buy.

kayak99

Could you explain what you mean? I have a 42" Samsung HD plasma that has a great pic. (I have HD cable)

gotapex

HD is defined as a minimum of either 720p or 1080i.

1080i is 1920 x 1080 interlaced. It's the more difficult one to hit.

720p is 1280 x 720 progressive. Both the horizontal and vertical specs are required to fully resolve 720p.

There are only 2 kinds of plasma sets under 50" that claim to be HD:

1. 1024 x 768 progressive, using non-square pixels (16:9 physical format). As you can see, the vertical spec easily meets the requirements (768 is higher than 720). However, there are not enough horizontal pixels (1024) to fully resolve 720p (1280 required).

2. 1024 x 1024 ALiS panels (a sort of interlacing, though not exactly) using non-square pixels (also 16:9 physically). The closest effective resolution for these is 1024x512, though not exactly. The Alternate Lighting of Surfaces technology is better than 512 pixels vertically, and not quite interlacing, but it's not exactly 1024 either. So, horizontal pixels may or may not reach the 720 spec, but the vertical (1024) definitely do not (1280).

Your samsung is in the first category, with a 1024x768 native resolution. It definitely does not meet the 720p, nor 1080i.

How can manufacturer's call their sets HD without actually being able to fully resolve HD? They cheat. They assume that the consumers will not know about the horizontal pixel requirement, and thus, ignore it.

I'm not saying that your Samsung doesn't have a great picture. However, it cannot fully resolve 720p, and definitely not 1080i.

50" plasmas are 1280 x 768 (nonsquare pixels), or 1366 x 768 (square pixels), both of which meet 720p.

Phil L.

Thanks for the info so far. So then the 37" I was looking at was not truely plasma. It was expensive though.

I don't have a lot of room. Only maybe 8 feet from screen to viewing area.

I think I could go with a 34" tube set. Either Toshiba, Hitachi or Sony, but weight is still an issue. Should any of these current tube sets advertised as HD really deliver HDTV? Examples are the Toshiba 34HFX83, or the Sony Wega (forget the model #), both at around $1,500.

kayak99

gotaplex, thanks. I was not aware of those specs.

Blotto

The tube based units will be true HiDef and (IMHO) offer much better picture than any Plasma. Why not look at some DLP rear projection sets, they would fall in your 3k price range, would truely resolve at least 720p and wouldn't be too heavy.

gotapex

8' Away really isn't too far for a 42". I'm about that far away from my 42" plasma in my bedroom:



It does come down to what works out best to your eyes though.

Here, this is a great place to start:

THX & SMPTE viewing distance calculator

THX and Dolby (SMPTE) spent millions of dollars figuring out what would give the most immersive viewing experience on a high quality source to the most people without a tennis match sort of effect (looking left and right and left...). This is what they came up with.

I'd start with their suggestion, and then work from there. Your own viewing preferences may be smaller or bigger.

When I did that, I found I liked a screen that was very close to the THX optimal size/distance (36 degrees).

One other issue to consider. If you get a good 42" plasma, you probably won't be able to see the difference between the "HD" models and the "ED" models at your viewing distance. Most people with normal (20/20) vision normally cannot at about 8-10 feet on a 42" or smaller plasma. It sounds strange that an ED plasma (852x480) can look like an "HD", but give it a try if you get a chance, using the exact same distance and source. At a certain distance, our eyes simply do not have the resolving power to appreciate the difference with a moving video. This may save you some money, as an absolutely excellent ED plasma is just $2k. You can use the money to upgrade down the line, or somewhere else.

chipmac

Gotaplex I know you were addressing fixed pixel displays but when it comes to CRT based HD RPTVs most of those can't fully resolve true HD for both horizontal and vertical either. Manufacturers have been cutting corners for years to keep costs down and still provide HD displays that come so close that nobody notices.

Phil the 37" Plasma you looked could have been HD but just can't fully resolve a HD signal. There are some Plasma, LCD and DLP displays that accept a HD signal but down convert them to a lower resolution for display at 480p. These are called EDTVs and not HDTVs even though they accept a HD signal. So check that the one you looked at wasn't a EDTV.

gotapex

Definitely agree with you there. Kinda sad.

kayak99

gotaplex, there is a very interesting home theater quiz on that site you listed. First page of the quiz was a breeze but the second killed me. I didn't realize how dumb I was.

Phil L.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with a 34" tube set for now.
I've been looking at the Sony XBR and Toshiba Cinema Series.

Any thoughts on those? Other brands and models to consider?